The Gift
by geoyz
Summary: After landing in Dragonstone, Dany decides to attack King's Landing immediately. She is met with a big surprise.


The Gift

Dany could smell the stink of King's Landing from her army's camp; it smelt like a combination of piss, throw up, and pig shit. She wrinkled her nose. It wasn't a huge deal to her; it was something she would have to deal with as queen.

What was more concerning to Dany was finding a way to capture the Red Keep and claim the Iron Throne. Her army had arrived late in the day and set up camp for the night. She was meeting with her advisors to devise an attack strategy.

"Just use your dragons and be done with it already. This shouldn't be taking too long." Impatience marked Ellaria's face, as she brought up this strategy, not the first time in the last month.

"My answer is not changing. I need to show the people and lords of Westeros that the source of my strength does not come from my dragons alone. I can't be seen relying solely on them." Dany was getting exasperated from the Sand Snake constantly egging her on this subject.

"But—"

"No dragons. Final decision on that." Her words came spitting out, as she struggled to control her irritation.

It took a while to compose herself, before continuing the discussion. "How successful will a siege be? We have the numbers and the equipment."

Tyrion shook his head. "We can't afford to do a siege. The people of King's Landing are starving, and are desperate for any change in leadership. The sooner we take over, the more welcome the people will of you. Also, we don't know if any surprise reinforcements will come to take us from the rear. "

Grey Worm added, "We Unsullied are not fit for sieging cities. We prefer to fight on an open field. Same with the Dothraki horde."

"Then how will we attack the city? Just launch a direct assault?"

Tyrion's face crunched up into a thoughtful look. Dany knew he had just thought of something.

"A direct attack is too risky and the death count will be high…but we could try a sneak attack and infiltrate the city from the inside."

"What do you mean from the inside? We can't just waltz in there and claim we are helping Cersei."

"No, but the Red Keep filled with secret tunnels that extend into the city and beyond the city walls. These secret tunnels is how I escaped my execution and came to you. It is said that Maegor the Cruel killed all the subjects that built the Red Keep to ensure that he was the only one to know the true extent of the secret tunnels. I know a lot about these tunnels. Maybe you could send a small group with me through these tunnels and open the city gates from the inside."

"Alright then. Gray Worm, pick you, along with your quickest men will go with Tyrion and infiltrate the city tonight. Open the city gates at sunrise, and the rest of the army will storm the city. Council dismissed."

Everyone started filing out of the command tent.

"Tyrion, Gray Worm."

The two paused and looked back at Dany. Dany was silent for a while, before speaking up again.

"Stay safe."

It was the next morning, the rays of the sun were just starting to extend over the horizon. The Red Keep stood tall and regal. _Today, it will finally be mine. They will pay for what they did to my family._

Dany was wearing a black robe, her hair tied back. She stood among her Unsullied army and Dothraki screamers, ready at a moment's notice to charge forward.

The top of the Red Keep starting glittering just as the sun poked out of the horizon in the distance. Finally, Dany saw the gates of the city finally opened. Tyrion and Gray Worm had succeeded. She commanded for her army to charge. All her soldiers rushed forward. Dany was confident that the skill of the Unsullied and Dothraki would triumph. But as rode through the city streets, she noticed that something was off. She had expected to be met with a Lannister army and Gold Cloaks. Instead, she found the street empty.

"Stop! Stop charging!" she ordered to her troops. Dany met up with Tyrion.

"Why is there no one here? It seems oddly suspicious. Almost like a trap."

Tyrion frowned. "It's not a trap. However, there is something going on here that we don't know…"

"What? How do you know it's not a trap?"

"We came out of the tunnels at the base of the Red Keep during at the beginning of dawn. Already we knew something was off. Usually there are hordes of Gold Cloaks out on the streets patrolling the city. But tonight, there were no Gold Cloaks. The streets were empty save for several beggars scavenging the trash. When it came close to sunrise, the smallfolk wouldn't come out of their homes, which isn't normal. They seemed beyond afraid of something. I suggest we proceed slowly and with caution."

Dany and her council along with her bloodriders walked up front. She looked around, taking in the sights of the housing, the empty markets. She wondered what the city would look like on a normal day: vendors on the sides of the roads selling various types of food, jewelry, clothing and other goods, the streets bustling with people trying to get from one place to another, brothels filled with lustful squeals, moaning, and laughter, blacksmith workshops banging away and with smoke pouring out of the chimneys.

But today was eerily calm. The streets were quiet. The vendor stations on the street sides were empty. The brothels didn't seem to be having a much pleasure, and no smoke were coming out of the blacksmiths. The only sign of life in the city were faces peering out of windows of the houses, looking fearful. But the fear didn't seem to be of the invading army; it was almost as if they were scared for them.

Dany and her army was approaching the Sept of Baelor. Or rather, what remained of it. Dany had heard what Cersei had done to it, but only now could she see the true power of Wildfire: where the Sept had once stood was now just a huge pile of dust, broken stone, and ashes. She shuddered at the thought of Wildfire in action.

"There is someone."

Dany looked to where Tyrion pointed.

It was the statue of Baelor the Blessed. Underneath the statue, stood a lone figure, dressed in dark northern garb. Dany started approaching the figure, ignoring Tyrion's warning. As she got closer, she noticed that the figure was a girl. She was looking up, staring at the statue of Baelor.

"Who are you?" The girl didn't respond. Dany repeated the question, but she continued to stay silent.

"Her Grace asked you a question." Once again, silence. Everyone stood still. Finally, the girl spoke.

"Do you believe in any gods, Daenerys Stormborn?"

Dany stood there for a second, confused. "I know of the Seven Gods."

The girl continued to stare at the statue. "The Seven…I stood under this statue, five years ago. It was a terrible day for the realm. All the commonfolk had gathered here, to watch justice be carried out in the name of the Seven gods. You see, my father had been named a traitor to the realm. I stood here, hidden, as I watched my father confess to lies, a song sung by the Lannisters for all the sheep to believe. Sheep will believe anything you tell them. I watched as they flung rotten food at my father. I watched my sister beg the shit king Joffrey for my father's mercy, her screams piercing the air, as the king's justice beheaded my father with his very own sword. They then mounted his head on a spike, for all the realm to see."

Tyrion's eyes widened. "Arya Stark."

 _What?_

"You would think that the gods would enact justice for this abomination that was done in their name. That the Lannisters would be punished for their crimes. That the North would prevail. It seemed like the gods would ordain this to happen. That's what I thought would happen. But then the Freys slaughtered them all. The Northerners, betrayed by Bolton. Orchestrated by Tywin Lannister. And that was when I learned the truth."

The girl turned to face Dany, and for the first time she saw her face. Her face was filled with wolfish features, looking ready to pounce at any moment. Eyes never wavering in focus, staring deep into Daenerys. Her gaze was deeply unsettling, as if she had just read her entire life right there.

"The gods are not kind nor just, nor are they cruel, for the simple fact that the gods don't exist. Know this: We live in a world full of injustice, where the lords trample on the lowborn, where evil acts are rewarded. There is no justice in this world, unless we make it ourselves. Five years, I have waited to dispense justice, and I have. The Freys have been punished for their treachery. Now the Lannisters have paid their debts, and I have collected."

The girl reached inside her cloak. Dany instantly became alarmed, and her Unsullied bristled their weapons.

"Keep your hands where we can see them!"

But the girl didn't bring out a weapon. Instead she brought out an iron coin.

"I pray you are a good queen. For your own sake." The girl tossed Dany the coin. " _Valar Morghulis."_

The girl strode away, making no sound. Dany shivered at her last words. _All men must die._

Tyrion spoke in a shaky voice. "Arya Stark…I think I know what has happened. We should head to the throne room."

Dany thought of the Starks, remembering what her advisors had told of them. How they had suffered at the hands of the Lannisters. If that girl was really Arya Stark…

They strode into the Throne Room. Dany was taken aback by the sight that preceded them, her blood running cold. "Seven hells!"

Hanging by their necks were all of the queensguard, their faces white, mouths hanging open, eyes void of life. On the Iron Throne, sat Cersei Lannister. Or rather, her body. The throne was splattered with her blood. And her head was sitting on the ground, feet away from the throne.

On the wall behind the throne, there was a message written in blood, almost like a warning to all.

 _The North Remembers._

 _Winter has come._


End file.
